1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, a program adding method, and a recording medium, and, especially, to an image forming apparatus which adds a program read out from a removable recording medium, the method for adding a program, and a removable recording medium from which a program is read out and then is added to the image forming apparatus.
2. The Description of the Related Art
In recent years, an image forming apparatus which includes respective functions of a printer, a copier, a facsimile machine, a scanner and so forth within a sole housing (referred to as a composite machine, hereinafter) has come to be known. This composite machine has four types of software programs for functioning as a printer, a copier, a facsimile machine, and a scanner, respectively, and thus, is operable as a printer, a copier, a facsimile machine, and a scanner by selectively applying one of these types of software programs, while it includes a display part, a printing part, an image pick-up part, etc. in the housing for this purpose. Japanese laid-open patent application No. 2002-84383, for example, discloses an example of such a composite machine.
Software programs, i.e., so-called BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) and boot loader start such a composite machine after a power supply thereto is started. The boot loader develops a kernel and a route file system on a RAM (Random Access Memory), and starts the kernel in the machine. And the kernel mounts the route file system. The term ‘to mount’ means, to start a file system or a peripheral device, and makes it enter a state in which it can be accessed by a body system.
After the kernel is started, an application/service starting program which starts various applications/services is started. The application/service starting program corresponds to a process which is first started in the composite machine. This program mounts a file system according to a program written in a predetermined setting file, and starts processes in a service layer and applications required for operation of the composite machine according to a program written in the predetermined setting file.
In such a composite machine, a program of an application to be started should be previously recorded in a hard disk drive, a ROM, or so provided in the machine itself. Japanese laid-open patent application No. 2001-76125, for example, discloses an example of an image processing apparatus in which an application to be started is additionally stored into a hard disk drive, a ROM, or so.
However, in these composite machines in the related arts, not only a program of an application to be started but also a setting file corresponding to the application to be started should have been stored in the hard disk drive, ROM, or so in the machine itself. By such a reason, adding a new application for the purpose of adding a new function or so to the machine may not be achieved easily for a user.
Consequently, there is a problem that a version upgrade may not be easily achieved in such a type of composite machine in the related art. Furthermore, in such a type of composite machine in the related art, adding a new application may not be achieved during a state in which a power supply to the machine is maintained or the machine is running.